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Is it cruel to keep a greyhound in a flat?

chelseah13

chelseah13

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I've seen this question asked in forums before and read articles about it online, but I just wanted to get some more opinions on this, so sorry for the repetition.

Here's my situation:
I'd love a companion animal but I live in a 2nd floor apartment (alone) and work 9-5, so I'm researching which pets are suitable for this situation.

I've read that greyhounds are suitable for apartments because of their relatively low activity level, provided they receive everything they need in terms of exercise, care, stimulation etc. I have 2 bedrooms and a large living room, so I think I have sufficient space for both me and the dog to feel comfortable. Although I'll be able to walk it in the morning and evening, I'm just concerned about how greyhounds are affected by being alone for most of the day. How likely are they to become destructive out of boredom? Also I'm concerned about getting the dog downstairs and outside in time if it's bursting for a wee!

If anyone has a similar situation or if they have greyhounds themselves, I'd really appreciate any advice/info! Obviously this is a big decision and I want to consider every angle. I definitely don't want my love of dogs to cloud my judgement and I don't want to take on a greyhound (or any dog) if it's not going to be a good fit for my living situation.
 
A retired greyhound is generally a lazy couch potato so in that respect, a flat is fine as a home. However, imagine how you would feel yourself sitting in a room with no stimulation (books, tv etc) and no access to a toilet for 8+ hours. So that isn't a great life for a social animal. Of course, people who have dogs also sometimes work so there are ways round this. You could, for example, have a dog walker twice a day or even once a day but the cost of that would have to be factored in.
 
Personally, I wouldn't recommend leaving any dog for eight hours at a stretch. There are doubtless many who have adjusted to it without it causing them stress, but there's no guarantee of this, and the dog may well be stressed without you even realising it. And many dogs will simply be unable to go that long without a toilet break - or would be desperately hanging on which also is unhealthy as well as stressful.

Would you be able to hire a dog walker who could take the dog out in the middle of the day? If so, a greyhound could well be a good match. Take comments that they only need a couple of 20-minute walks a day with a pinch of salt - yes, they may get by on this but they would be much happier with much more than this.

Greyhounds are prone to separation anxiety, so you'd definitely need to find one who didn't suffer from it (which can be difficult if they've lived in kennels before), and even then you'd want to take as much time off work as possible to help him settle into his new home.

Most of the time, once you've worked out your dog's routine, you'll be able to avoid 'accidents' by taking him out at regular intervals. But it he is unwell, or when he gets older, you may not get him outside on time. I remember a friend saying of her very old saluki x, 'His bowels move faster than his legs:D'

I don't have a greyhound, BTW - but my lurcher is 5/8 greyhound!
 
We had a greyhound, we lived in a flat too but it was ground floor with a garden so bit different. She was extremely chilled and kept herself most of the time. She was walked morning and evening and let out into the garden maybe once or twice during the day so you would definitely need a dog Walker to come in, unless you work locally and could take her out in your lunch break.
A smaller dog might be easier as you could carry them up and down stairs, I know as our grey got older she could barely get in the car so wouldn't have managed stairs... But then some smaller breeds are more active! I definitely don't think having a dog in your situation is impossible.. You will just need to consider which will be the best dog for you xx
 
Mrs S said:
I'd love to be in a job where I could take a dog to work.. Best job ever!!!!
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Whilst I'm in a job where I'm allowed to bring my dog into work, as are others, it is most definitely not the best job ever, in fact about as far from it as you can get! Still, in 2.5 weeks I won't be worried about it! :eek:
 
arealhuman said:
Handed my notice in, just about had it up to here (points above head). Got to find another job now - yikes! :eek:
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Wow! Best of luck. You are in quite a niche market aren't you - if you can and it suits your lifestyle, I highly recommend self employment/consultancy. You know where I am if you want more details about going about it.
 
I dont think there is a blanket answer to this question.

It depends on the dog itself, whether you provide enough stimulation, if you have a trusted insured dog walker to come and take doggo out, if you can 100% say after 8 hrs at work you can still face a walk and obviously do one before work too.

Near me there is a wonderful woman who runs a doggy daycare, she collects the dog in the morning and they spend the day at her house in the countryside, her waiting list is massive as she only accepts a few dogs at a time. Id be worried that my dog wouldnt want to come home :p
 
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